Dogs

July 31, 2015

We recently had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Beauty. Her name defined her both inside and out. All dogs are special but Beauty had something deep and spiritual about her. She had an intense, human stare and used it to effectively communicate. Dogs are special because they give you pure, unconditional love, don't hide their emotions and are always demonstratively ecstatic to see you. Humans don't seem to be able to achieve that level of honesty with each other. Beauty was almost 14, and to the end she was a trooper. Even though her back legs were going and she lost a lot of weight, she still went out with us on walks, though we had to do a little pulling to help out. On the day we had to put her to sleep, I had come home to find her lying on the bed, inert. Even though she had eaten that morning, she had thrown up and wouldn't take any treats, always a bad sign. She had a kind of rattle in her breathing and I was hoping it was some kind of bronchial infection that they could treat. I was still in denial about how serious her condition might be. Our vet was not able to see her so we went to the Animal Emergency Referral Center in Fairfield, NJ, a wonderful facility. We had to drag Beauty there in her bed and they helped us put her on a gurney. They examined her and took an x-ray. What they found was bad news. Her stomach had twisted around and was causing her to be sick and in pain. We had to decide what to do. We were a bit in shock. The options were to euthanize her, or put her through a serious operation, which might not have solved the problem, and involved a long recovery period. It finally dawned on us that we would have to lose her. We were heartbroken and in tears, but it would have been inhumane to put a 14 year-old dog through that trauma. They gave her a sedative to relax her and then brought her into the room where we were waiting. She seemed to be only semi-conscious, but we spoke to her, telling how much we loved her, what a wonderful dog she was and how we'd miss her, all the while in tears. She was given the injection to stop her heart and she drifted off, looking peaceful and still beautiful. The vet told us that this was the gift we could give our beloved pet, to let her die painlessly and with those who loved her dearly. I'm crying as I write this but feel that our continued sadness is a way we can still connect with her. Our other dog, Rosie, grew up with Beauty and seems very subdued. All we can do is give her all our love and attention, while still mourning Beauty, who we will always lovingly remember and whose life we shared.

March 17, 2014

It's been about a year since I've been retired, and a lot of people have asked me, many with their own impending retirement on the horizon, what it's like. For the most part, very good. It's actually been less of an adjustment than I, and others (like my spouse!), thought it would be. I've always been a fairly active and busy person and it's definitely a slowing down process. However, I have enough hobbies and interests to keep me busy and keep me from getting bored. I've been playing guitar at open mics and hearing more live music. My two favorite new artists, who I've really enjoyed and seen multiple times, are Lera Lynn and James Maddock. I've been back on the tennis court, and so far I'm alive to write about it. I have binged on serials (and sometimes cereals) like True Detective, House of Cards, Annika Bengzton and now Foyle's War, a British detective series taking place during WWII. Also seeing a lot more movies, particulary after the Director's Guild sent me all the Oscar-nominated films on DVD. Sweet! This is even before NCAA Basketball and the baseball season starts. How am I going to ever fit everything in?!

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about my age, (not ABOUT my age per se, but who happens to be approximately my age), curious about how I structure my days. I was trying to explain how time seems to expand after you're retired. Incidental chores and activities, like doctor's appointments, dropping off laundry, trying to unsuccessfully pair your socks, picking up groceries at the supermarket, going to the gym, meeting people for lunch or dinner, now become the focus of your day. Whereas before, you'd squeeze these things in before or after your 10 or more hour workday, you now have the "luxury" of having those activities as your new daily goals and planning around them. "Hmmm... should I go shopping first and then walk the dogs?. But wait, I want to get new sneakers and to get the car washed. Oh and I almost forgot, I'm supposed to meet someone for lunch. What a day! It's exhausting just to think about, I think I need a nap!" Actually afternoon naps are a guilty, but wonderful pleasure, particularly with the dogs at your feet keeping you company. And speaking of dogs, I think ours are actually model retirees. They play, sleep, eat, go for walks, have a meaningful job guarding the house and keeping The Watchtower people away, and sleep some more, always finding the most comfortable spot available. Of course the postman doesn't seem to especially care for them, but I gather the feeling is mutual.

I guess the main thing I miss about work is the people. I miss the personal interaction and the satisfaction of working collectively on a project. I also thought I'd be doing a little more consulting. I'm doing some volunteer work, which I enjoy, but think I'm ready to do some "work, work." NOT that I'm soliciting, BUT if you, or someone you know needs a YouTube expert, Video Producer/Director and generally nice guy to work on a project (or alternatively, to have lunch with), please do let me know! :-) So that's about all I have to say for now. I've been SO busy, I haven't blogged in a while, maybe I'll wait until year 2 of retirement for my next post. But I am very active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, not to mention Scoop.it, Spotify and other black holes of time. And all that email! At least I've given up Candy Crush, thank God! Anyway, I have start thinking about what I want for dinner and what time to start watching Foyle's War. Hmmmm.. maybe I should go out to eat. Oh, but that would screw up my TV schedule. Or should I should wait until tomorrow to watch Foyle's War? But then what time would I go to the gym? I don't know WHAT to do...Oh, the humanity!

December 29, 2010

Well, no Chinese food - we went to a party instead, but did see a GREAT movie - The King's Speech. With Colin Firth and Jeffrey Rush turning in phenomenal performances. Yesterday it started to snow like crazy - probably about 2 feet in Montclair, NJ. Don't remember getting so much accumulation in years. So spent a cozy evening inside, making a fire, making s'more's (just can't get that chocolate to melt right!) and watching Fargo, which was great movie to watch on a snowy evening. Pretty much snowed in today. Did some shovelling, but didn't do much good. But Rosie, our Portuguese Water (Snow?) Dog, seemed to love it. Our boxer mix, not so much!

August 09, 2010

Just returned from BlogHer2010, the premier event for women bloggers, who cover topics such as kids and family, relationships, "green" living, coupon collecting and fashion. Quite a wide range from the approximately 2500 "bloghers" who showed up at the Hilton, in New York City, on Friday and Saturday, August 6-7. For the first time, Johnson & Johnson had a booth representing the company. During the previous 2 years at BlogHer, we sponsored a SAFE KIDS USA booth. The theme of our booth this year was "Johnson & Johnson, A Legacy of Caring", which celebrates our 125 year history of helping people lead healthier and happier lives. We invited attendees to tell their own "stories of caring", which we videotaped and posted to the Johnson & Johnson health channelon you tube. We had over 50 stories over the two day period, focusing on caring about family, children, helping others, charitable giving, and even a couple about pets. All in all, it was a great experience and a wonderful way to connect with people, and we hope to have a continued presence at BlogHer going forward. Here's one of the videos recorded, by Mom, Vera Sweeney:

February 06, 2010

Rosie just had her first birthday last week. She's a wonderful, happy and healthy Portuguese Water Dog and loves retrieving, playing with her big sister, Beauty, and vocalizing. Having 2 dogs is great.

December 12, 2009

Speaking of dogs, I read an interesting book, "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle". It was an Oprah book, so predictably a little sappy, but it was impossible to put down, and there were some really great sections on dogs, fictional though they might have been. Then of course, there's Philip Roth's book,"The Humbling", yet another treatise on sex and death with which he's been obsessed in his last several books, as opposed to some of his earlier books where he was only obsessed by the former. Another good read, "What The Dog Saw", by Malcom Gladwell. Probably my favorite of all three.